Grace And Love Intertwined

 Created a new blog site.  https://leanongodnow.wordpress.com/ Will keep this old one for people to read but be posting to the new one. 

 

Acts Chapter 25 Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem.Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him,asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem— while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him.But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly.“Therefore,” he said, “let those who have authority among you go down with me and accuse this man, to see if there is any fault in him.”And when he had remained among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought.When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove,while he answered for himself, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I o

 

Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls—Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments. - Habakkuk 3:17-19 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Habakkuk3:17-19&version=NKJV When hard times come, (and they will), we can either shake our fist at God, blaming Him, or have unwavering trust in Him keeping our boundless joy centered in Him. Which will you choose when the hard times roll?

Acts Chapter 24 Now after five days Ananias the high priest came down with the elders and a certain orator named Tertullus. These gave evidence to the governor against Paul.And when he was called upon, Tertullus began his accusation, saying: “Seeing that through you we enjoy great peace, and prosperity is being brought to this nation by your foresight,we accept it always and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.Nevertheless, not to be tedious to you any further, I beg you to hear, by your courtesy, a few words from us.For we have found this man a plague, a creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.He even tried to profane the temple, and we seized him, and wanted to judge him according to our law.But the commander Lysias came by and with great violence took him out of our hands,commanding his accusers to come to you. By examining him yourself you may ascertain all these things of which we accuse him.”A

Jambalaya Pot Pie Rating: 4.89 stars     This recipe was inspired by a dish I used to order when I worked at the American Cafe. I finally was brave enough to give it a try, and it's pretty close! Use whatever veggies and meats you love. This is what resembles the original recipe, but don't be afraid to try something different. By CRACKERJACKPRINTER Prep: 45 mins Cook: 1 hr Total: 1 hr 45 mins Servings: 6 Yield: 1 9-inch pie Local Offers ZIP  77340 Ingredients Ingredient Checklist ½ cup uncooked white rice ¾ cup water 2 eaches Italian sausage links 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups whole milk 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, or to taste 1 cup cooked chicken meat, shredded 3 drops liquid smoke flavoring, or to taste ½ cup finely chopped onion ½ cup chopped red bell pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced, or more to taste ½ cup uncooked shrimp - peeled, deveined, and tails removed 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed 1 beaten egg Add All Ingredients To Shopping List

 

 

Gross Misconduct  The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,“Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord , all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the Lord !’ ”Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord , the temple of the Lord  are these.’“For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor,if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt,then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.“Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit.Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense

Acts Chapter 23 Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.”And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?”And those who stood by said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?”Then Paul said, “I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ”But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.For Sadducees say that there is no

Shrimp Etouffee My easy to make Shrimp Etouffee is perfect for that special date night or to make any night a special occasion! Prep Time15 mins Cook Time1 hr Total Time1 hr 15 mins Course: Entree Cuisine: American Keyword: etouffee, shrimp   Servings: 2   Calories: 555kcal   Author: Chef Dennis Littley Ingredients 4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour 1 pound shrimp shelled and deveined 1/2 lemon sliced 2 cups chicken broth 1 cup onion diced 1/2 cup celery diced 1/2 cup bell pepper diced 4 cloves garlic chopped 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped 14 ounce can diced tomato 1 tablespoon Creole or Cajun seasoning your favorite blend and adjust to your tastes hot sauce to taste sea salt to taste 1/4 cup green onions sliced for garnish tablespoon Italian parsley chopped for garnish Instructions Broth Add the shrimp shells and scraps of onion and celery to a small saucepot with a little olive oil to saute and cook for a few minutes then add the sliced lemon and chicken broth. Bring to a boil,

                

4 Indictments  Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, To the oppressing city!She has not obeyed His voice, She has not received correction; She has not trusted in the Lord, She has not drawn near to her God. - Zephaniah 3:1-2 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Zephaniah3:1-2&version=NKJV Read this in my daily Bible study yesterday. Israel was in gross sin: idolatry, swearing, lying, killing, stealing, adultery (Hosea 4:1-2). They did not obey God's voice, refused correction, did not trust nor draw near to God.  But before we pass judgment on Israel, let's examine ourselves: is there any unrepentant sin in our lives? Are we refusing correction? Are we placing our trust in anyone or anything other than God? Are we drawing near to God or turning away? If there is anything amiss in our spiritual lives, let's repent speedily. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. 

Acts Chapter 22 “Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.”And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said:“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, wh

“Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid. Tell my people Israel of their sins!Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me.‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ “I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers.What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me.You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord

Mark The Servant's Gospel Lesson 6 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you  hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’For laying aside the commandment of

Acts Chapter 21 Now it came to pass, that when we had departed from them and set sail, running a straight course we came to Cos, the following day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.And finding a ship sailing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.When we had sighted Cyprus, we passed it on the left, sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo.And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.When we had come to the end of those days, we departed and went on our way; and they all accompanied us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city. And we knelt down on the shore and prayed.When we had taken our leave of one another, we boarded the ship, and they returned home.And when we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day.On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered

Cajun Wild Rice Rating: 4.43 stars     This is a Cajun-inspired gourmet wild rice dish that I created. It's quick and easy, and can even be cooked unattended in a rice cooker! By JOSH MOBLEY Prep: 10 mins Cook: 45 mins Total: 55 mins 1 cup uncooked wild rice 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth ¼ cup water ½ pound andouille sausage, diced ½ cup diced sweet onion 1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup Directions Step 1 In a saucepan, combine the wild rice, chicken broth, water, sausage, onion, mushrooms and garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from the heat, and stir in the cream of mushroom soup. It's that easy! ADVERTISEMENT © Copyright 2020 allrecipes.com. All rights reserved.  This rice dish is delish! Cajun Wild Rice

                          Sermon                            The Rapture  In the popular  Left Behind movie Christians are secretly, silently taken up to heaven while the rest of humanity is left behind to face the seven years of tribulation. But does the Bible support this? No.  1. First the rapture is not silent  The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. And those who have died believing in Christ will rise first.After that, we who are still alive will be gathered up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with the Lord forever. - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Thessalonians4:16-17&version=NCV 2. Everyone will see Jesus when He returns  Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. - Revelation 1:7 http://www.bib

                                                            Mark The Servant's                                                            Gospel Lesson 5 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feetand begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”Immediately the fountain of her blood was d

                              Acts Chapter 20 After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia.Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece and stayed three months. And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia—also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.These men, going ahead, waited for us at Troas.But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together.And in a window

                              Spiritual Disciplines                               Fasting  “Moreover,  when you fast, do not be like the  hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.But you, when you fast,  anoint your head and wash your face,so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you  openly. - Matthew 6:16-18 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew6:16-18&version=NKJV Don't fast to seek attention. But to draw closer to God and please Him.  ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ “In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers.Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day,

                                                                    Sermon                                                                     Saving Faith But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. - Hebrews 10:39 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews10:39&version=NKJV Let's be of those who have saving faith not of those who draw back, who have evil hearts of unbelief departing from the living God (Hebrews 3:13). By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. - Hebrews 11:7 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews11:7&version=NKJV Look at Noah's saving faith.  This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. - Genesis 6:9 http://www.biblegateway.com/pa

                          Mark The Servant's Gospel                            Lesson 4 And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds  of the air came and devoured it.Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no  crop.But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”And He said to them, “He who has ears t

                              Acts Chapter 19 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some discipleshe said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.Now the men were about twelve in all.And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.But when some were hardened and did n